Folder for documents

ABSTRACT

A folder designed as a clipboard file for non-perforated documents has one or more index sheets (14-18) retained in the back of the folder (3) by folding lines (24) which engage behind a clamp (5). Pressure is applied to a friction clamping spring (9) for moving the spring between closed and opened positions by applying pressure to a front leg (8) of the spring.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a document binder having a clamping springwhich has a rear and a front leg, can be displaced, transversely to thebinder spine, from a document-release position into a document-clampingposition and back, and the front leg of which grips through an openingin the binder spine onto a document-clamping strip so as to press thelatter against the document in the clamping position.

PRIOR ART

A binder of the abovementioned type is disclosed in German Patent 1 255631. Like other binders of clamping-spring design, which are disclosed,for example, in EP 0 293 709 B1, it is used for filing documents whichdo not have holes punched in them. While it has long been the custom, inthe case of notebooks and binders for documents which do have holespunched in them, to use index sheets to subdivide filed stacks ofdocuments, the possibility of doing the same in what could be calledclamping binders has, until now, been lacking.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on the object of providing a remedy for thedeficiency resulting from the abovementioned lack of possibility.According to the invention, this object is achieved, in the case of abinder of the type under consideration, by virtue of the fact that it isprovided with an index with a plurality of index sheets which have tabs,are equipped, on their edge facing the binder spine, with a punched-outportion, which comes to lie in the region of the opening for theclamping spring, and with folding strips which are adjacent to thepunched-out portion and grip in a hook-like manner behind the clampingstrip.

The invention has the advantage of expanding the range of use of thebinders in question. The special design of the binder according to theinvention ensures that the index sheets are joined to the binder in along-lasting manner and that the index sheets fit securely in thebinder.

Further details and features emerge from the subclaims and thedescription below of a particularly advantageous embodiment which isillustrated in the attached drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the front view of a binder,

FIG. 2 shows the front view of an individual index sheet and

FIG. 3 shows, on an enlarged scale, a section along the line III--III inFIG. 1.

WAYS OF IMPLEMENTING THE INVENTION

The binder illustrated in the figures has a front binder cover composed,for the most part, of a transparent plastic sheet 1, and a rear bindercover formed from part of a nontransparent plastic sheet 2. An edgesection of the plastic sheet 2 is folded four times and forms the binderspine 3, a covering strip 4 and a clamping strip 5. The transparentplastic sheet 1 is joined to the clamping strip 5 via a weld 6. Thefront leg 8 of a clamping spring 9, which is preferably made of steelsheet, grips through an opening 7 extending from the binder spine 3 intothe region of the covering strip 4, and the rear leg 10 of said clampingspring 9 bears against the rear side of the plastic sheet 2 forming therear binder cover. The clamping spring 9 can be pushed to and fro,transversely to the binder spine 3, by amounts which are delimited bystops. The stops are formed in this case by a folding crease 11, whichforms the transition between the covering strip 4 and the clamping strip5, and a folding crease 12, the latter crease 12 being assigned acounter-stop comprising an edge strip 13, bent at an acute angle, of thefront leg 8 of the clamping spring 9.

In order to make it possible to subdivide the document to be filed inthe binder in a manner which takes specific organizational aspects intoconsideration, the binder is equipped with a plurality of index sheets14, 15, 16, 17 and 18, of which the index sheets 14-17 have tabs 19, 20,21 and 22, which are cut in one piece therewith.

As can be seen best with reference to the index sheet 14 in FIG. 2, eachof the index sheets is provided, on its edge facing the binder spine 3,with a U-shaped punched-out portion 23. Adjoining the punched-outportion 23, upwards and downwards, are folding strips 24 and 25 which,as can be seen in FIG. 3, grip in a hook-like manner behind the clampingstrip 5. The illustrated manner of how the index sheets 14 to 18 arefixed ensures, on the one hand, that they are held securely and, on theother hand, creates adequate space for stacks of sheets of differingamounts to be placed between the individual index sheets. In thisconnection, it proves to be expedient if the distance A between theclamping strip 5 and the binder spine 3 is at least equal to twice thethickness D of the stack of index sheets, and if the width b_(F) of thefolding strip 24, 25, adjacent to the punched-out portion 23, of theindex sheets 14 to 18 is essentially equal to the sum of the width b_(K)of the clamping strip 5 and the abovementioned distance a.

What is claimed is:
 1. Document binder having a clamping spring whichhas a rear and a front leg, can be displaced, transversely to the binderspine, from a document-release position into a document-clampingposition and back, and the front leg of which grips through an openingin the binder spine onto a document-clamping strip so as to press thelatter against the document in the clamping position, characterized inthat it is provided with an index with a plurality of index sheets(14-18) which have tabs, are equipped, on their edge facing the binderspine (3), with a punched-out portion (23), which comes to lie in theregion of the opening (7) for the clamping spring (9), and with foldingstrips (24, 25) which are adjacent to the punched-out portion and gripin a hook-like manner behind the clamping strip (5).
 2. Binder accordingto claim 1, characterized in that some of the index sheets (14-17) areprovided with tabs (19-22), which are cut in one piece therewith. 3.Binder according to claim 1, characterized in that the punched-outportion (23) of the index sheets (14-18) is of U-shaped design. 4.Binder according to claim 1, characterized in that the binder spine (3)and the clamping strip (5) are formed by part of a multiply folded edgesection of a plastic sheet (2) which forms the rear binder cover. 5.Binder according to claim 1, characterized in that that edge of theclamping strip (5) which faces the binder spine (3) forms a stop, formedby a folding crease (12), for an edge strip (13), which is bent at anacute angle, of the front leg (8) of the clamping spring (9).
 6. Binderaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the distance (a) between theclamping strip (5) and the binder spine (3) is at least equal to twicethe thickness (D) of the stack of index sheets put into the binder. 7.Binder according to claim 1, characterized in that the width (b_(F)) ofthe folding strips (24, 25), adjacent to the punched-out portion (23),of the index sheets (14-18) is essentially equal to the sum of the width(b_(K)) of the clamping strip (5) and the distance (a) thereof from thebinder spine (3).
 8. Binder according to claim 2, characterized in thatthe punched-out portion (23) of the index sheets (14-18) is of U-shapeddesign.
 9. Binder according to claim 2, characterized in that the binderspine (3) and the clamping strip (5) are formed by part of a multiplyfolded edged section of a plastic sheet (2) which forms the rear bindercover.
 10. Binder according to claim 3, characterized in that the binderspine (3) and the clamping strip (5) are formed by part of a multiplyfolded edged section of a plastic sheet (2) which forms the rear bindercover.
 11. Binder according to claim 2, characterized in that the edgeof the clamping strip (5) which faces the binder spine (3) forms a stop,formed by a folding crease (12), for an edge strip (13), which is bentat an acute angle, of the front leg (8) of the clamping spring (9). 12.Binder according to claim 3, characterized in that the edge of theclamping strip (5) which faces the binder spine (3) forms a stop, formedby a folding crease (12), for an edge strip (13), which is bent at anacute angle, of the front leg (8) of the clamping spring (9).
 13. Binderaccording to claim 4, characterized in that the edge of the clampingstrip (5) which faces the binder spine (3) forms a stop, formed by afolding crease (12), for an edge strip (13), which is bent at an acuteangle, of the front leg (8) of the clamping spring (9).
 14. Binderaccording to claim 2, characterized in that the distance (a) between theclamping strip (5) and the binder spine (3) is at least equal to twicethe thickness (D) of the stack of index sheets put into the binder. 15.Binder according to claim 3, characterized in that the distance (a)between the clamping strip (5) and the binder spine (3) is at leastequal to twice the thickness (D) of the stack of index sheets put intothe binder.
 16. Binder according to claim 4, characterized in that thedistance (a) between the clamping strip (5) and the binder spine (3) isat least equal to twice the thickness (D) of the stack of index sheetsput into the binder.
 17. Binder according to claim 5, characterized inthat the distance (a) between the clamping strip (5) and the binderspine (3) is at least equal to twice the thickness (D) of the stack ofindex sheets put into the binder.
 18. Binder according to claim 2,characterized in that the width (b_(F)) of the folding strips (24, 25),adjacent to the punched-out portion (23), of the index sheets (14-18) isessentially equal to the sum of the width (b_(k)) of the clamping strip(5) from the distance (a) thereof from the binder spine (3).
 19. Binderaccording to claim 3, characterized in that the width (b_(F)) of thefolding strips (24, 25), adjacent to the punched-out portion (23), ofthe index sheets (14-18) is essentially equal to the sum of the width(b_(k)) of the clamping strip (5) from the distance (a) thereof from thebinder spine (3).
 20. Binder according to claim 4, characterized in thatthe width (b_(F)) of the folding strips (24, 25), adjacent to thepunched-out portion (23), of the index sheets (14-18) is essentiallyequal to the sum of the width (b_(k)) of the clamping strip (5) from thedistance (a) thereof from the binder spine (3).